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The great Olympic drug test robbery

DETAILS of an elaborate plot that may have enabled thieves to escape with a phial of allegedly drug-tainted urine from an Olympic gold-medal-winning horse emerged this weekend.

Investigators believe DHL, one of the world’s biggest courier firms, may have been conned into handing over the sample from the Irish showjumping horse Waterford Crystal.

The phial contained a second sample of urine from the horse which would have enabled dope testers to determine whether Ireland retained its only gold medal of the games.

Because they are now unable to carry out any tests on the missing sample, the Irish showjumper Cian O’Connor, who rode Waterford Crystal to victory, is likely to keep his gold medal from the Athens games.

Investigators are working on a theory that the team behind the theft got hold of a secret code number for the DHL delivery. By doing so, they were able to divert the